Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-16
THE FRENCH FOURTH.
San BernardimO Celebrates the
Fail of the Bastile.

Fail of the BasttIe.
The French citizens of San Bernar
dino celebrated the fall of the Bastile
in fine style as the following from the
Courier will show. 1t will be seer
that Mr.. Charles Raskin of lie Progres
this city, delivered an eloquent address
at the banquet. The Courier says:
One of the finest spreads ever made
in this city, was set before the guests
of the French-American people last
evening in the hall next to the Courier.
There were about one hundred people
present, and they enjoyed the meal
very much. After the supper Presi-
dent Filanc introduced Chas. Raskin,
editor of the Los Angeles lie Progres,
who delivered the following address
in the French language;
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
l am very proud and honored to
have been called among you, dear citi-
zens and devoted compatriots of San
Bernardino and the neighborhood, to
Join YOU in the celebration of the ma
tional holiday OF France, the taking OF
the Bastile. l call you compatriots
because all Gauls are brothers; all OF
them unite, mass and rally together
on this eventful day. The revolution
of which the taking of the Bastile was
the signal, is one of the greatest vic
tories which the world ever witnessed.
1t was the victory of right over might,
of the oppressed against the oppressor
and the dawning of new era in the
formation of society. In truth, the 18th
of July is day never to be forgot
ten. Those who sympathize with
France must spontaneously help in the
dissemination of the ideas for which
their ancestors fought so warmly, for
it is the anniversary of that glorious
day upon which nation, harrassed
by despotism, rose in body to shake
it off and proclaim liberty, equality
and fraternity. 1t is ninety-eight
wears ago that our tried ancestors
shook off the yoke that hurt them.
They rose, and in moment of SUI
preme exaltation destroyed the Bas-
tile, that dungeon of despotism. This
energetic act finally stopped the nu-
merous atrocities of royalty. Charles
IN. had been seen, at the instigation
of his mother, Catherine of
Medicis, ordering the massacre
of Saint Bartholomew; Louis
XIV had been seen leaving the great
Corneille starving to death whilst ex-
claiming: THE State, it is l." and
later, by the revocation of the Edict
of Nantes, forcing more than three
hundred thousand of the children of
France to leave their native soil
Madame de Sevigne, who wrote at
that time, reminds one, in her beauti-
full style, and with the liveliest colors,
of the execution of about twenty
peasants, hanged to the branches of
trees in the royal park, whose sole
crime was that they had not knelt
deeply enough before their ruler.
1t is the deliverance OF the French
people and the end of its oppression
that is celebrated to-day wherever the
French language is spoken. France
at present has nearly 39,000,000 of
inhabitants, besides 26,000,000 in
her colonies, which make a grand
total of Is, ,000, 900 OF people who have
been freed by the fall of the Bastile.
But, ladies and gentlemen, let us
not forget that We are in America.
On this solemn day, the illustrious
name of Washington and Lafayette
spring up in our mind. 4 few days
ago, the Americans, our adopted
brethren, brilliantly celebrated the
4th of July, as the children of France
now celebrate the 18th of July. These
two great links in the history of the
liberty of nations were welded on the
4th and 18th of July, and these dates
have become and must always remain
dear to the people of all civilized
nations.
France and the United States are
two great powers constantly living in
perfect harmony; they have nobly
fought side by side to secure the strong
social monument called Liberty, and
that is precisely the reason why both
these friendly nations ever remain so
well united.
In conclusion, allow me, ladies and
gentlemen, to compliment the French
colony of San Bernardino, on its devo-
tion, its enterprising spirit, its union
and its kind feeling towards France.
In my quality as child OF Gaul and
an American citizen, am happy to
add my patriotism to your own and to
cry:
Long live France! long live America!
Long live the Republic long live liberty!
Col. Paris, that loyal old patriot,
then stirred up the loyal hearts present
as he cam only do, and made the
banquet hall ring with patriotic senti-
ments. He made one of the finest
efforts of his life, and the cheers that
followed his every pause, was deafen-
ing. The Colonel held his audience,
from the commencement to the end,
spell-bound. Space forbids the pub
lication of his address.
The tables were set aside and those
present enjoyed a very pleasant dance,
after the sweet strains of Lindner,
Sullivan & Bush's string band.
Emil Dreyfus and others who were
at the head of the celebration, deserve
much credit for their able manage
ment of the affair Those present will
long remember the French banquet of